The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 166

Of course the -,,p which Cain orected was only similar, not identical (cf, with I rad, not n city accordi~g to modern ideas, but a Jared, descent; with Mehujaol, Mnha.laloel, keep or fort, enclosed with a wall for the praise of God; with Methusael1 Methuselah, defence of those who dwelt within (Murphy). man of the sword). 5. The particulars rolated It was the first step in the direction of civil- of Euoch a.nd Lamech in tho line of Seth isation, and Kalisch notes it !IS a deep trait forbid their identification with those of the in the Biblical account that the origin of samo name in the liue of Cain. cities is ascribed not to the nomad, but to Ver. 19. -And L&mooh took unto him the agriculturi~t. Impelled by the necessities two wives. Being the first polygamist of of Ins occupation to have a fixed residcnoo, whom mention is made, the first by whom he would like,nso in course of time be con- " tho ethical aspect of marrio.ge, as ordained strained by the multiplication of hia house- by God, was turned into the lust of the eye hold to insure their protection and comfort. and lust of the flesh " (Keil). 'l'hough after- It is possible also that his attempt to found wards permitted because of the hardness of a cit,· may have been dictated bv a desire to men's hearts, it was not so from the begin- bid defiance to the curse which doomed him ning. This was " a new evil, without even tn a wandering life ; to create for his family tho pretext that the first wife had no chil- and himself a new point of interest outside dren, which held its ground until Christianity the holy circle of Eden, and to find an outlet restored the original law-Matt. xix. 4-6 " for those energies and powers of which, as an (Inglis). The names of Lamech's wives were early progenitor of the race, he must have suggestive of sensual attractions. The name been conscious, and in the restless activity of the one Adah, tho Adorned (Gesenius), of which obliTion for his misery could alone and the name of the other Zillah, the shady be found. If so, it explains the action which or the tinkling (Keil), the musical player is nert recorded of him, that he called the (Lange), the shadow (Wordsworth). "Did name of the city after the name of his son, Lamech choose a wife to gratify the eye with Enoch. I. e. he consecrated it to the realis- loveliness 1 end was he soon sated with that ation of these his sinful hopes and schemes. which is so short-lived as beauty, and then Ver. 18.-Years passed away, the family chose another wife in addition to Adah 1 of Cain grew to manhood, and, in imitation But a second wife is hardly a wife; she is of their parents, founded homes for them- only the shadow of a wife" (ibid.). selves. And unto Enoch (whose wife pro- Ver. 20.-And Adah bare .Tabal. Either bably would also be his sister, few caring at the Traveller or ihe Producer, from yabhal, to this early stage to intermarry with the ac- flow; poetically, to go to walk; hiphil, to cursed race) was born Irad. Townsman, produce ; descriptive, in the one case, of his citizen, urbanus civil,u (Keil, Lange); fleet nomadic life, in the other of his occupation as a wild a.'IS (Murphy); ornament of a city, or his wealth. Ke was the father-av, from Ir, a city (Wordsworth). And Irad father ; used of the founder of a family or begat Mehnjael. Smitten of God (Keil, nation (eh. x. 21 ), of the anthor or maker of Ge,enius, Murphy), the purified or formed anything, especially of the Creator (Job of God (Lange). And lllehnjael begat xxxvi.ii 28), of the master or teacher of any l'!Iethusael. .Man of God (Gesenius, Lange), art or science (eh. iv. 21)-of such as dwell man e.sked or man of El (Murphy), man of in tents, and of such as have cattle. Mikneh, prayer (Keil). And :M:ethusael begatLamech. literally, possession, from kanah, to acquire, Strong youth (Gesenius, Lange); man of as in ver. 1 ; hence cattle, DB that was the prayer, yonth (Mnrphy); king, by metathesis primitive form of wealth (cf. pecus,puunia); for melech (Wordsworth). The resemblance by which may be meant that Jabal wa.a the between these names and those in the line of first nomad who introduced the custom of Seth has been accounted for by supposing a living in tents, and pasturing and breeding eommingling of the two genealogies, or one not sheep merely, but larger quadrupeds a.s common primitive legend in two forms well, for the sake of wealth. (Ewald, Knobel). But-1. The similarity Ver. 21.-And his brother's name wa■ of the names does not necessarily imply the .TubaL Player on an instrument, the musi• identity of the persons. Cf. Korah in the cian. Cf. jobel, an onomatopoetic word signi• families of Levi (Exod. vi 21) end Esan fying jubilu,m, a joyful sound. Cf. Greek, (eh. xxxvi 5); Hanoch in those of Reuben 6>..o>..v,11v, a>..a:1.a,uv; Latin, ululare; Swed- (eh. xlvi 9) and Midian (eh. xxv. 4); Kenaz ish, wlen; Dutch, welen; German, juchen. in those of Esau ({:h, mvi 11) and Judah (GeseniUB). Ke was the father of all suoh (Num. xxxii 12). 2. The similarity of the as handle the harp. The kinnor, a stringed names only proves that the two collateral instrnment, played on by the plectrum ac-. branches of the same family did not keep cording to Josephus(' Ant.,' 7, 12, 3), but in entirely apart. 3. The paucity of names at David's time by the hand (1 8nm. xvi. 23; that early period may have led to their repe- xviii 10; xix. 9), corr~Rponding to the modem tition. 4. The names in the two lines arc lyre. er. KIVV(HI, rc11•1•urrr, r.ilham j Germ~n, IJ!t. IV. t1-2tJ THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 89